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Scared White Guy Shoots Black Teens: No Charge; Scared Black Guy Shoots White Teen: Manslaughter

What a wonderful, color-blind criminal justice system we have.
April 8, 2008  |  
 
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Friday night, ABC's 20/20 ran a piece on John White, the African-American Long-Islander convicted of killing Daniel Cicciaro Jr, a white 17-year-old.

If you're not familiar with the case, here's a quick and dirty summary. Cicciaro, known to his friends and family as Dan-o, showed up in front of White's house one night, spoiling for a fight with White's son, evidently over a girl.

Cicciaro, drunk and angry, was accompanied by 4 friends.

The Whites maintain that the teenagers blocked the driveway of their suburban home while making threats and using the N-word, and that the group of teens resembled a lynch mob, prompting father and son to grab weapons and attempt to drive them off.

During the confrontation, White's unregistered, heirloom pistol -- passed down to him from his grandfather -- was fired, and Cicciaro fatally shot. White says it was an accident.

The jury didn't agree, the 54 year-old was convicted of manslaughter. Later, a seemingly sympathetic judge sentenced the construction worker to 2 to 4 years in prison. His lawyers are appealing.

Rend Smith is a freelance writer who has been employed by the Antioch Review, the Dayton City Paper, and the Hill Rag. He has won several awards and two grants in connection with his work.

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